Madly, Truly, Deeply
by Tightropes to the Sun
Summary: He was on the run again, only this time he hurt more than himself. When he left, he left a heartbroken Tony Stark behind. Bruce thought he had everything figured out, thought he had time to hide but they've found him and they are more than determined to throw his ass in jail for the rest of his life. Science Boyfriends! Agents of SHIELD crossover.
1. Hide & Seek

All I can say is blame agents of S.H.I.E.L.D for this. Great show by the way, you should watch if you aren't already.

I own nothing.

* * *

It all happened so fast. It was as if a meteor had hit the manor and scattered his entire life, nothing made sense anymore.

How could it?

One moment he was standing in the lab with Tony, goofing off and solving equations, the next he was packing his bags and leaving for Bali. It was the only thing he could do. They were getting to close, expressing too many emotions Bruce refused to bring up again.

He couldn't do it. Not to himself and especially not to Tony.

So he did the only thing that made sense to him. He ran. He ran until he couldn't see the manor when he looked back and until the whisper of Tony's sweet words stopped hammering his eardrums.

Hiding himself away was the only thing he could do to protect those around him. His friends didn't deserve to be hurt because of him, he could never forgive himself if anything happened to them, even thinking about it made Bruce's heart clench.

Tony and Pepper had become his family over the year he had stayed with them. Pepper was like the mother he had forgotten and Tony was the best friend he never had. They accepted him and that meant the world to him.

But that was why he had to leave.

Bruce was getting to close, getting to attached to the both of them. He knew the moment he allowed himself to fall deeper into the hole he created, he would never be able to get out of it.

His mother always told him he fell to easily. It had happened with Betty, they had been friends since childhood but the moment Bruce realized what it truly meant to be loved by someone, he fell. And he fell hard. Once it happened, there was no way to stop it.

He poured his entire soul into their relationship even though it was doomed to fail. Regardless if Hulk had entered his life or not, his relationship with Betty was bound to end sooner of later. Bruce had trust and abandonment issues, he found it hard to relate to people.

Betty always wanted him to be the best him he could be but how could Bruce be that person when he didn't even know who the best him was? She was always trying to better him, make him see how much potential he had.

Truth be told, Bruce didn't believe a word she said. Simply because he had no way of making sense of any of it.

Their relationship fell apart, they grew distant and eventually they went their separate ways. That didn't mean Bruce ever stopped loving her, he wasn't sure he could ever stop. He just wasn't in love with her anymore.

It had taken a long time for him to figure it out. In fact he was certain he had never actually been in love with the woman. He just loved the idea of having love.

The same thing happened with Tony. He was sucked in and before he knew what hit him, he had fallen. Only this time it was different. This time a single glance towards his friend would send his heart in a flutter of beats.

He truly felt something with Tony and he had to leave before something happened. He would not allow himself to be sucked back into the cycle.

"Are you getting on? " Bruce glance up from the picture of Tony, Pepper, and him and looked towards the middle aged Bus driver. The man looked like he hadn't bathed in months, his hair was as long as his beard and as dark as his eyes. His skin was creamy but yellow, probably from his horrible smoking addiction.

"Sorry, I lost myself for a moment. " He folded the picture back up and placed it back into his front pocket. Bruce had left the clothing Tony had bought for him back in his room, he couldn't take it with him, it wasn't fair to remind himself of something he could never have.

He payed the driver and climbed into the back of the bus. It was pretty much empty, save for the old woman a few seats in front of him. He pulled his jacket tighter around his body once he sat and leaned his head against the window as the bus took off out of the city.

Tony would probably be awake by now, he would be walking down towards his room, stalling in the kitchen only to get two cups of coffee. His heart broke for the man, Bruce had been a coward and taken the easy way out. He had slip out during the night and left a note. He didn't have the balls to face Tony.

Bruce closed his eyes tightly, holding back the whimper threatening to slip out. He wanted to just get off the bus and return back to the manor but he knew once he went there there was no way of getting out.

As sad as it was, he needed his escape route.

His heart nearly leapt into his throat once the phone rang and rang. It was stashed in his back pocket, Bruce had hoped if had put it somewhere he couldn't see, he'd leave everything behind. The old Italian woman turned to look at him, her grey eyes staring right through him. He had no idea if she could speak English but he truly believed it didn't matter, her look said everything.

Bruce dug the phone from out of his pocket and swallowed. Tony's pictured flashed on the screen a few times before disappearing, only to repear a few seconds later. His hands shook as he answered. "Bruce. " Tony sounded so heartbroken and so alone.

Tears spilled out of his eyes onto the stack of papers on his lap. "Tony." He answered back with the same amount of emotion. " Why did you call? You weren't supposed to call. "

Tony was silent for a moment. He could hear him pacing in whatever room he was in, finally he cured in Latin and replied back, "How could not expect me to call you? What the hell is this Bruce, you leave in the middle of the night and don't even tell me you are leaving?"

"I left a letter. " mumbled Bruce lamely.

"A letter? "Tony growled. "A fucking letter, Bruce!" He flinched and sunk lower in his seat, the tears flowing freely. "You leave and all you can do is leave a damn letter?!"

He couldn't do this. He couldn't listen to Tony's anger, no matter how badly he deserved it. Bruce laid his head back against the old seat and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry..."

"You're sorry? You better be damn sorry, Bruce Banner. "

A sob escape his lips and the woman in the bus gave him a sad look. Great, not only was his heart breaking but an old woman was giving him pity.  
"Bruce, " sighed Tony, his tone a lot less heated, "Come home and we'll talk about what's bothering you. "

Home.. Bruce hadn't known what it felt like to be home in a long time. Why was Tony doing this to him?

"God Tony, you have no idea how wonderful that sounds. "he pulled his knees to his chest and pressed his forehead between them, trying to steady his breathing.

"Then come back..please..."

"I can't.."

No matter how badly he wanted to get off the bus and go back, Bruce knew he couldn't. Risking Tony's life just wasn't worth it. It might take some time for the both of them to heal from it but it was the best thing to do.

Tony let out a low whimper and Bruce's heart broke again. "Please don't do this, Bruce.." he begged.

The bus pulled to the last stopped and Bruce gathered his things, the phone never leaving his ear. He walked down the isle, staring at his old worn out shoes as he passed the old woman, the driver paid him no mind as he got off the bus and stepped out into the rain. The doors closed behind him and his only way home was gone. "I love you, Tony. "He waited for a second, letting the memories of their time together seep away from him with the rain, and hung up. Bruce slipped his backpack over his shoulders and placed the phone in a garbage can.

This was for the best, no matter how much it hurt, it was for the best.

Now if only he could believe it.

* * *

**6 months later**

_"Mister Bruc_e," Etute, an older man who claimed to be 106 but was no more than 64 years old, muttered swiftly in Balinese. _"Have you discovered how to fix your problem?"_

Bruce sighed quietly, ringing out a cloth of water and placed it on the man's forehead. "_No. I'm afraid it's not that simple. "_

_"Love is always simple, child. "_

_"If only it were that easy. "  
_

He smiled at the old man, gave his knee a pat and stood. "_I'll come back later, make sure you rest and get drink a lot of water." _Etute shot him a look. He had come across him by accident, he had been wondering around the village when he stumbled into a healers cavern. It was like nothing he had come across before, Etute had taken him in and gave him a reading, one in which Bruce still didn't understand, and in return for his services he offered to try and help him. _  
_

As he walked back towards his house, Bruce thought about Tony. It was hard not to. Bruce knew he would have loved to be here with him, learning the language and culture. They had made plans to travel the world together, it was hard to believe Tony had only been out of New York for business and hardly ever pleasure. Bruce wanted to prove to him that life could be enjoyable.

Now he would never get the chance.

As he rounded the corner towards his home, a small girl tugged on his leg. He stopped and crouched down in front of her, _"What is wrong?" _he asked, only tripping over his words for a second.

Her name was Amiga, she was the daughter of a local butcher. Bruce had befriended her after her father had fallen ill. She blinked her wide brown eyes up at him and frowned. _"There is man at your house. Man in suits._ "

_"Man in suits?"_ He asked.

She nodded, ducking behind his legs down towards the village. He knew it was only a matter of time before they came looking for him but he had been hoping for a little more time. Bruce sighed softly, running his fingers through his hair. He knew he needed to get away as soon as possible but he couldn't leave without his bag.

_"Don't be stupid, Banner." _ He muttered quietly to himself as he climb towards the old shack, hoping it would calm his nerves. There was only one way in and out of the old house but he had hid his bag in the cellar a few feet away just in case something like this were to happen.

He ducked into a bush and looked up at the house, from where he was seated he could only see two man. He should have no problem grabbing his bag and slipping away. Bruce paused to catch the agents locations one last time before making a run for the cellar. He tucked the lock off and ducked inside, his heart pumping loudly in his chest.

_Hurry up, Banner!_

He went to reach for the bag only to realize that it was gone. No! This could not be happening! Had someone broke in while he was in the village? There was nothing he could do about it now. He would have to leave without it.

Bruce cursed himself for being such an idiot and slipped back out of the cellar. "I suggest if you don't want anything to happen, you put your hands up real slow and get down on your knees. " He gulped as the man pressed the gun to the back of his head. "Real slow now, Banner. "

Slowly Bruce got down to his knees and put his hands into the air, cursing in Balinese when he noticed his bag clenched in the agents hands.


	2. Agent No Shit Sherlock

All I can say is blame agents of S.H.I.E.L.D for this. Great show by the way, you should watch if you aren't already.

I have just started to lay this story out in my head and I already love how it's playing out. This chapter goes to msmalone90 for being my first reviewer! Thank you so much :D

And no need to worry, Tony and Pepper's relationship will be addressed, probably in the next chapter or the one after it.

Don't be afraid to ask questions! I will either answer them through PM if you have it or in the next chapter.

I own nothing.

* * *

Chapter Two

"So, Mr Banner, " Bruce was seated in a small dark room, his hands cuffed under the table. The agent was sitting in front of him, a stack of papers in front of him. "You've been arrested more than a dozen times and are wanted in 46 states. That's impressive, considering you're only 34 years old. "

"47, give or take a day. "muttered Bruce under his breath. He was really sick of these man in suits. All of them looked at him as if were a monster.

The man rose an eyebrow, leaning forward on his elbows. He looked to be in his early twenty's but with the scowl on his face made him looked older than Bruce. "What?" He had the same expression everyone had when they first met him; disgust and fear.

Even before Hulk had joined his life, people always looked at him differently. Bruce grew up in a small town where everyone knew your life and nothing was kept a secret very long. Brian's abusive ways towards him didn't stay within the family to long, once Betty discovered what was happening the entire town knew.

Bruce placed his hands on the table in front of him and sighed quietly. "It's 47 states, give or take New York. They've sort of forgiven me for the Harlem indecent because of what happened with the Avengers. " A part of him wondered where they had found this guy, SHIELD was certainly lowering their expectations for agents.

The agents shot him a look before glancing down at the papers in front of him. "Regardless of what happened with the Avengers, you are still a wanted criminal, Banner. " He licked his index finger and flipped through the papers.

"Did director Fury tell you that?" Bruce asked, leaning forward on his own elbows.

The agent hummed in the back of his throat for a moment, then his head shot up and his eyes narrowed in Bruce's direction. "Director Fury?" He asked.

"Yes, he's the head of SHIELD. "

Agent Ward laughed softly and leaned back in his chair. Because he had just met the man, he had no right to judge him but he was going to anyway. Ward seemed like the type of guy who had the world on his shoulders, he stood at the top of the food chain with his head held high. Although, speaking from experience, he most likely had family issues.

Once upon a time Bruce had been in his shoes. He was a know it all and he liked to shove it in peoples faces. Why wouldn't he? If people wanted his know how they had to respect him, it was that simple. It had taken Betty's rude reminder that he was turning into his father for Bruce to snap back into place. After that he stayed to himself and only helped people when it would benefit them.

"How do you know I am apart of SHIELD?" Ward asked, "I could be with any agency. "

Bruce could feel the headache starting to form in the back of his head. It would be easier to just play around with the man but he didn't have the energy to do so. "It was really easy once I realized what your name was. "Whether Agent Ward had left his name tag on purposely, Bruce would never know but it did help push his suspicions further. "No one with the name Ward would be apart of the FBI or the CIA, besides you happen to know who I really am and what really happened in New York a year ago. Only SHIELD really knows what happened.

Bruce didn't bother to tell the agent that he had run into him while he was on the run during his first years. There was no point, he doubted the man barely remembered that information anyway.

He would have considered the man good looking but his bad attitude was rubbing Bruce the wrong way. Ward had the face of a supermodel with the body to match but his personality needed work. He was no where near Tony but there was something to be said about it.

"Well Banner, "Ward sighed, clearly irritated with him. " You have everything figured out, don't you?"

He didn't actually. Bruce had no idea why he was back in New York, he hadn't done anything to upset SHIELD. He had been hiding away in Bali for the last six months, it was nearly impossible for him to do any harm half way across the world. "Not everything. "He licked his lips in boredom," I don't know why you keep calling me Mr Banner, he was my father. I worked damn hard for my degree, you can either call me Doctor Banner or don't address me at all. "

Bruce had the strong suspicion that the agent wasn't going to bother to address him, let alone call him Doctor of anything. As stubborn as he was, Ward was proving to be more lippy. "You are not in any position to make deals, Banner. "

"It's not a deal, Agent. " He snapped back, his hands clenched on the table. " I worked for seventeen years to get my title, I'll be damned if a egotistic man like yourself reduces my good will down nothing more than an insult. " Bruce knew he was loosing his temper, to be fair he hadn't slept in three days and hadn't had a good meal in five.

Ward stared at him, slowly as if he was testing him, a small smirk appeared on his face. If Bruce hadn't worked so long on controlling his anger he would have given the agent something to smirk about. Instead of picturing himself knocking him into next week, he focused on Tony. His friend always had a way of calming him down, even thinking about the playboy seemed to slow his heart rate down a significant amount.

Ward pulled a piece of paper from the stack and placed it in front of him, "It only took you a few days to loose that title, Banner. You lost your title after you took the lives of innocent people. " Bruce's hands clenched tighter, his nails digging into his wrist. " I will call you what I want. "

He refused to look at the photos of his victims on the paper, Bruce had made a promise to himself not to think about the people he killed. He did his time in grieving, asked for forgiveness and moved on. It did no one any good for him to think about how right everyone was, he knew he was a monster, he didn't need officials to tell him.

Biting into his lip, Bruce sunk down into his chair and sighed deeply. He was not going to let the agent win, if he ever wanted to get out of here he needed to keep his head on straight. He knew he could easily break the handcuffs holding his hands together. Regardless of how badly he wanted to prove to the agent of how dangerous he could really be, he knew it was excellently what Ward wanted him to do.

The two of them sat in silence for a few moments before the door opened and a man pulled Ward out of the room. Bruce still didn't know why he was here. He just wanted to go back into hiding. The longer he was here, the easier it became for Tony to discover that he was back in town and he couldn't face him.

Not yet, probably not ever.

While the agent was doing what he was doing, he laid his head on the table and closed his eyes. It was sad how tired he was. Sleep was a dark place for Bruce, the moment he closed his eyes he was sucked into a darkness that seemed nearly impossible to escape. It usually took Tony hours to coax him out of a nightmare, on his own he didn't stand a chance. So he hardly slept. Bruce tried to stay awake for as long as he could, most of the time it was to the point that when he did crash his mind was to exhausted to think about anything.

_When I was a kid, my mom use to rock me to sleep after a nightmare, she would pick me up her arms and hold me against her chest. I felt stupid for depending on her so much but I enjoyed her comfort. After she died, I didn't have anyone to carry me out of dreams, my father was always working, eventually I stopped sleeping. _ Tony had been so upfront to him about his childhood, the playboy had taken the time to reach him on a personal level and that meant more to him than he could express.

It still amazed him how much they were alike. Sure Tony was a lot more smart than he was and had a horrible drinking problem but underneath it all, they had the same problems. Their relationships with their fathers was something to be desired, they both pushed the people they cared about away and built a wall around themselves to protect their hearts.

Maybe that was why Bruce had fallen for him. It was hard to say what caused it to happen but it was easy to say he was in love, perhaps not out loud but in his mind he had no issue with expressing it.

Agent Ward slamming his hand on to the desk jolted Bruce awake and caused his heart to leap into his throat. It was apparent that this man really wanted Hulk to come out and say hello. "Sorry to wake you, Banner, but we have some questions for you. " Ward was now joined by a small woman, she was so small and petite that she could almost be described as pixie like.

"I didn't think you had a lady friend, Ward. "Bruce smirked in her direction, "You dont seem like the deep relationship type of man. "

"We aren't together. "She answered calmly, folding her hands together. "My name is Agent Phelps. I work in the security department of SHIELD. "She pushed a folded out in front of him and waited until he opened it to continue. "There has been a series of bombs set loose around New York over the last few months. We've managed to defuse them, however recently we've come to discover that there is a final bomb that is suppose to go off in the next few weeks. "

"What do I have to do with this?" asked Bruce. He was flipping through the folder. He didn't know a thing about bombs, his work revolved around gamma radiation and the works.

Agent Phelps pulled a paper from the bottom of the pile and set it in front of him. "We would not have brought you in here if the bombs were regular bombs, however because we've found out they are gamma bombs, we needed someone who could defuse and create an antidote if need be. "

That was why he was here?

Bruce narrowed his eyes towards Agent Ward and cursed under his breathe. He was just treated him like shit because he could, not because he was actually in any danger. Perfect.

He slipped the papers back into the folder and slid it back towards the two agents. "Defusing a gamma bomb isn't easy, in fact it's near damn impossible, that's why most scientist stay away from constructing them. Once you put them together, you don't tend to take them apart. " the chains to his handcuffs raddled as he pushed his fingers through his hair. " Your best bet is to find it and put it somewhere there isn't any livestock or people. "

Ward rolled his eyes and sighed. "We knew that much, Banner, we need to know if you are able to create an antidote if it comes down to it. " he sounded frustrated with him, good.

"I could if given the time, considering you've told me that the bomb is set to go off in a few weeks, that is not something we have. "

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Agent Phelps.

Truthfully Bruce didn't know. The only thing he could think of on the spot was to get everyone out of the city and as far away as possible. "There isn't much we can do. "He answered instead.

"This is pointless. "Ward stood from his seat and flung the door open. "We knew he wasn't going to help us. We should just send him back to the damn rat hole where we found him. "

Agent Phelps was apart to follow after her partner when she froze, her eyes stuck on the door. "I highly suggest you do not do that, not unless you want a pissed off superhero on your hands. " A deep voice muttered, evidently shaking with fury.

"What are you doing here?" Ward barked.

"You have something that belongs to me. "

The door flung open and in it's threshold stood Tony. Bruce gulped and sunk deeper into his chair, praying the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

"Tony.."


	3. Maybe, He Should Have

All I can say is blame agents of S.H.I.E.L.D for this. Great show by the way, you should watch if you aren't already.

I own nothing.

* * *

His entire reasoning behind leaving New York was so he wouldn't run into Tony. Bruce did not want to see the look of disappointment and anger on his friends face, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt the playboy.

Tony had known way to much hurt in his life and Bruce couldn't add on to that. All he ever wanted to do was keep him happy but judging by the scowl on his face and the dark glint in his eyes, he had failed to do that.

He tore his eyes away from the man standing in the door way and pushed his fingers through his hair. The two agents were still hovering in the room, unsure of what to do with themselves. "You two can fell free to leave whenever you like, don't let the door hit you on the way out. " Tony snipped, his tone harsh.

Bruce didn't like this side of Tony; he got like this when he was hurt and walking away from the man had done just that. He suspected Tony had never really learned how express him other than his usual scowl and glares, which was understandable considering his rough upbringing.

Agent Phelps slipped out almost immediately but Ward stayed put, "Stark you have no reason to be in here so consider yourself lucky I haven't tossed your ass out the door. " he sat back down in the chair and crossed his arms. "Do continue. "

Bruce really didn't want to Tony with the agent hovering over them. The conversation was already going to be a rough , they didn't need Ward turning his nose up at them. Tony seemed to have the same idea because seconds after the agent sat down, he had grabbed him by the collar and hauled him out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"I didn't know you could do that. "Bruce muttered, staring up at his friend in shock.

Tony relativity looked the same, save for the length of his hair and beard. Bruce briefly wondered from a moment how long it had been since the man had shaved or at least trimmed the hair, he looked more like a bum than the billionaire playboy he was known as.

Arms crossed and eyes narrowed, Tony stared back down at him, "I can do whatever I want. Fury wants me on his good side, hence I have the power to do whatever the hell I want. " He shot back.

He wanted to point out that he only meant that he hadn't known Tony to have the strength to do such thing, but thought better of it as the playboy sat down in front of him. "Speaking of how I can do whatever the hell I want, I want you to come back to the manor. " His eyes swam with such emotion that Bruce felt his heart break.

He turned his eyes down, "You can't always get what you want, Tony. "Bruce flinched as his friend took in a sharp breath and pushed his body down to make himself seem smaller. "Besides I don't think Ward is just going to let me go. "

"Don't worry about him, I can take of it. "

He knew that, in fact a part of him was hoping Tony would take care of it. The last thing he wanted was to land in the hands of SHIELD or the government again. That was one experience he never wanted to go through again. However he knew he couldn't just fall back into Tony's awaiting arms, its wasn't fair to him nor Pepper. "That's what I'm afraid of.. "He admitted.

For once it seemed like the man had nothing to say. Finally after a long-awaited minute, Tony muttered, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Bruce gulped, "I only meant you act before thinking and sometimes it's not always the right decision-"

"Is that what this about? You think I didn't make the right decision, is that right Bruce?"

He didn't believe Tony had. Everything had been perfect in their life, they were the best of friends and everything fell into place correctly, then everything changed when Bruce allowed some information to slip. It was like opening a door for Tony to just waltz in and change everything. It had been too much, much to quickly. He couldn't have allowed Tony to leave Pepper like that, he wouldn't have if it had been for someone else.

Why would it be any different for him?

Bruce jumped when Tony slammed his hands on top of the table, the metal shaking beneath them. "I am not a child, Bruce. I know what I am doing and I am capable of making my own decisions, regardless if you think they benefit me or not. "He sighed, running his shaking fingers through his hair. "All I ever wanted since meeting you was to be-"

"Alright Stark, that's enough. "Ward broke through the door and yanked Tony up out the chair by his shirt. "You've had your fun, now leave before I bring you in on charges of assault. "

Tony shrugged off the agent, turning to look back at him. "Don't worry buddy, I'm working on getting you out. "He turned away and glared at Ward, "I swear to god if you harm him I will personally grantee you will never work for SHIELD or any agency again. "he bumped past the man and slammed the door on his way out.

Sighing in frustration, Bruce lowered his head into his arms. Why couldn't Tony just be like everyone else in his life? He was the one person who did the complete opposite of what he wanted. It was so damn frustrating but also very sweet and caring. It had been so long since Bruce felt this sort of connection with someone.

Ward sat down in the seat again, coughing to grab his attention. "Your friend is certainly head strong. "He said, "I'm sure it gets him into trouble. "

He had no idea. Bruce could easily count on both his hands how many times Tony had managed to get the both of them into trouble because he couldn't keep his opinions to himself. "He's just difficult to understand that's all. " He clarified.

"And you understand him?" asked Ward, doubt washed over his face.

Bruce liked to think he did, sure sometimes he had a hard time following every passing thought in Tony's head but he kept up pretty well. "I believe I'm one of the few people who do. " He answered.

Ward crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair. "That's sweet, your file never mention you were in a relationship with Stark. " a smirk light up the agents face as if he knew some pressing information Bruce did not.

Bruce felt his cheeks flush, "We aren't in a relationship, as far as I'm aware he's still with Pepper. " He mumbled, bashfully.

An old newspaper was fished out of the stack and pushed in front of him. Bruce didn't dare look, he couldn't, for he knew what was going to be shown. "Pepper Potts and Tony Stark have been broken up for months, "Ward said, folding his fingers across the page. "Did it pretty publicly too. "

Oh no.. Tony couldn't have ended things with Pepper. Not like that.

Guilt filled his chest and a frown stretched over his lips. He never wanted Tony to do break up with Pepper, that was one of the reason he had left. He wasn't going to let him choose between the two of them. It wasn't fair. Bruce knew how much Pepper cared about Tony; she had opened up to him one night after one of Tony's many breakdowns and shared her deepest emotions and feelings towards the playboy.

It was after that night, Bruce decided it would be in the best interest for everyone involved if he just left.

"I don't mean to sound like an ass, "Bruce actually did, "but why am I still here? I haven't done anything wrong. "

Their early conversation was quickly forgotten and the slight smirk on Ward's face disappeared. "We have no proof that you were not involved with the bombs, we are holding you until we can sort some things out. "He explained, stacking the pages once more.

"You can't hold me any longer than forty-eight hours. "

"That would be true if in fact we were regular New York state police department, however considering we are not, we can hold you as long as you want. "

This man was really rubbing him the wrong way, Bruce didn't know what it was about the agent but he could feel the frustration and anger resurfacing. Maybe it was because Ward reminded him of a younger Ross, the two were so similar it was almost scary.

"Not even Stark can spring you until we say so. " Ward added in just to drive Bruce's frustrations further.

As if on cue the door slid open and Tony glared at the agent. "Lets go Bruce, I managed to spring you. " He might have laughed if it had not been for the death glare Ward was shooting at him. Bruce didn't even want to know how Tony had sprung him, he was just glad to finally get out of the small room.

Ward's arm shot out, blocking the door. "He's not going anywhere until I get confirmation. " He growled.

Tony laughed, "Do you always follow mommy's orders, agent?"

Ward face flushed brightly and he lunged for the playboy. Agent Phelps must have been watching from the next room because she was on Ward before he could get a mark on Tony. "He is free to go Ward, you know who just confirmed so. "

Bruce saw anger flash across the man's face and he wondered who they were talking about. It was obviously someone who Ward had to listen to, someone on a higher payroll. Ward stalked over to him, uncuffed him and then left the room without a word.

"Please do not leave the country, Dr Banner, we may still have some questions. " Phelps gave him a nodded and left him alone with Tony.

Regardless if Bruce was planning on hijacking it out of the city, he doubted Tony was just going to allow him to run away again. He squared his shoulders and held his head high, hoping it could somehow bring him some courage, and followed his friend out of the building.

* * *

LatexoHPo:

Thank you so much for your review, I'm glad you're enjoying it! I know Brucey always has everything difficult but I think that's why he's such a rateable character to so many people. Don't worry thought, things will start to look up for him, he's with Tony how could it not [; I love it! I really hope they add some of the avengers in like Hawkeye or Black Widow for example. I mean they are apart of SHIELD technically right?

msmalone90:

Haha, I wish Tony would but he's trying to be better in the eyes of SHIELD and Bruce, he can't do that if he kills Ward because I'm pretty sure it would go that far. I hope you enjoyed a taste of what is to come between Bruce and Tony, don't worry their confrontation is just beginning, the harsh words and hurt is yet to come. Thank you reviewing!


	4. The travel bag and the vodka glass

A/N: Blame Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D for this. I love the show and the moment I saw Ward an image for a story formed in my head and this was how this was born.

This chapter is just a fluff and a little bit of science boyfriends. This was actually a roleplay I did with a friend but I haven't heard from her in a while and I miss her. So I thought what the hell and just edited our roleplay into a chapter.

This chapter is for Novusula, if you haven't read her stories you totally should.

I own nothing.

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** [The Curious Case of The Travel Bag and The Vodka Glass; Part 1]**

Tony was drinking when Bruce found him a few days later. His friend was leaning against the table, a cup of brandy in one hand and his phone in the other.

They had pretty much avoided each other for the better part of his return. Bruce didn't know what to say to the man without sounding selfish and Tony looked as if he were in his own world.

"Tony?" Bruce called, "Are you alright?"

Tony blinked at Bruce and back at the glass of vodka he had been staring into for a good part of an hour. Or quite possibly many hours. He lost track of time when he was wallowing in self pity.

"I wasn't drinking" He hastened to reassure his friend, but didn't loosen his clenched grip over the glass either "I was just...it makes me feel better to hold it when I-even though I'm not really going to, you know, drink it-Pepper, she-" He realized midway through the babble of words that he probably wasn't making a lot of sense going by the confusion etching its way through Bruce's face so he simply cleared his throat "Never mind. It's not important. "

As he leaned forward on the counter, his eyes caught on something behind Bruce, something that Bruce was hiding from Tony given the way his body was angled to cover it.

"What've you got there, big guy?"

"Pass me the glass, please. "Bruce's hand twitched to grab it but it stayed in place as Tony stared at him. He shifted under his glaze and cleared his throat. "Nothing, hand over the glass, Tony."

Tony relaxed his death grip on the glass marginally, but didn't hand it over. Bruce's presence alone made him less compulsive about throwing a year of sobriety down the drain. But no, he can't, not yet. He gently nudged Bruce's hand down.

"I'm not gonna drink it" He repeated, more to convince himself than Bruce, and promptly changed the subject "What's with the travel bag? You ditching town or something?" He joked, because such a notion was quite frankly ridicu-He paused his train of thought at the way Bruce's eyes flitted away from his.

"You're leaving" It wasn't a question.

Bruce noticed the way Tony grip on the glass tightened- it was almost like a reflex. In the back of his mind he wondered how often his friend sat alone with a glass in his hand, thinking about the hardships in his life. Like his father, Tony had turned to a substance to cope but Bruce knew they were completely different.

Tony would never hurt him. Not on purpose anyway but it still made his hands shake whenever he caught him drinking. "What are you drinking anyway?" He asked, sliding out of his seat so he was hovering over him. "I thought Pepper took all your booze. " Bruce reached over Tony to take the extra glass positioned beside the other- Pepper if he had to guess. She hardly let him drink alone, if ever. "I..." He didn't have the answer Tony was looking for, truthfully he hadn't counted on him being home, he had planned to just leave and deal with the consequences when he didn't have to face his only friend.

"The Other Guy wanted to go on a hike. "He answered instead, pouring the bandy into his glass.

"I thought the other guy like it here" Tony mentioned, all too casually, his eyes on his phone. "Not that I blame him. Seems I have that effect on everyone"

He plucked a bottle from the cabinet and slammed it in front of Bruce. "What I'm drinking" He said in reply to Bruce's questioning look. ""Has some Irish name I can't pronounce. Pepper always liked girly drinks" His expression faltered as he said her name. He tried to compose it back but it was too late, Bruce had already seen.

"He does like it here, it's his alter paranoid ego that's a little frightened. " He answered, down casting his eyes. "Well I'm not like most people, Stark. I actually enjoy your company "

Bruce's head shot up and eyed the old bottle in front of him, a frown resting on his lips. "That's hard liquor, Tony. "Before he realized, Bruce had cupped Tony's face between his hands, his brown orbs searching the others. "She left didn't she? Pepper I mean. "

Bruce's hands were calloused and warm, so warm that it was almost scorching, but his touch was gentle so Tony couldn't help but close his eyes and melt into-no, no what the hell was he doing? Tony snapped his head away and instinctively brought the glass closer to his lips. At Bruce's sudden twitch, he lowered it.

"Maybe you better hold on to this right now" He muttered hoarsely "Because, yeah, Pepper, she-she's gone."

This only confirmed what Ward had told him, but it was still heartbreaking to watch.

Hurt flashes across his face but Bruce was quick to recover it, "Maybe it's for the best. " He muttered, his hand twitching to grab the glass and throw it at the nearest wall. Instead he placed it on the counter beside them, taking in a few breaths to calm the anger trembles tracing his hands.

Bruce regretted his response as soon it came out of his mouth. He back away a few strides as Tony's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry that was rude. " He swallowed down the lump in his throat and twisted his hands together. "Did she say why she as leaving? She probably needs time to clear her head, I'm sure she'll be back Tony."

Tony reached out to tug Bruce's hand over to place it over the glass and then he covered his own hand over Bruce's.

"Not this time, Brucey" He said quietly unwilling to retract his hand even though it was quite clear Bruce wasn't going to let go of the glass any time soon. "She's finally had enough, of the panic attacks, of the alcoholism- I mean not that I blame her" He gave a bitter laugh. "You're right, it's probably for the best. She deserves better"

It didn't hurt to admit that, he knew how screwed up he was and no one in their right mind would want to be near him let alone in a long term relationship. But it never occurred to him that Bruce would have the same, though admittedly justified, perception of him. And that, that hurt like hell.

Bruce met Tony's eyes with a small frown, his hand only tightening on the glass trapped under their hands.

He blamed Pepper, as much as he liked her he could never understand her tendency to just give up on Tony- they were supposed to in love, get through things together as a couple. "I blame her. " He blurted out, his face flushed with anger. " She should have sat down and talked to you about it, Tony. " Bruce understood more than anyone about the alcoholism but he could never think of leaving Tony, especially when he was so..delicate.

It just now dawned on him, how the sentence sounded. It broke his heart to see the hurt flash across Tony's face; he looked so broken and alone. Taking in a few deep breaths to calm the anger coursing through him, Bruce removed his hand from the glass and entwined his fingers with Tony's. "I would have thought after all this time you would have known me by now, Tony Stark. I don't care what people say about you, you are real with me and that means more to me than the stories the press prints about you. " he gave his hand a gentle squeeze and smiled softly. "You're my best friend Tony, I think nothing but highly of you, yes you have your faults, but doesn't everyone? "

Bruce pressed his forehead to Tony's and sighed quietly. "If Pepper can't handle being with you then let her go, I know it's hard, god Tony I know it's hard, but maybe you need a new change of scenery besides... she kind of scared me if were being honest. "

Tony exhaled lightly, afraid even a gust of air would disturb what they had created here.

Bruce had his eyes closed, Tony noted with his own which were very much open. He felt as though he should close them too, because it felt like one of those Moments with a capitals 'M', where the closing of eyes was not optional, like kissing for instance. But observing Bruce's face up close was a rare enough opportunity that Tony was determined to make the most of it. Make the most of how the hard lines of his face softened when he relaxed and-not that they were kissing! His inner monologue caught up with Tony and his regretfully backed away slightly from their forehead lock.

Everything about Pepper that had seemed so far away whilst he was close to Bruce came back with a vengeance.

"Logically, I know what you're saying is true" He cleared his throat to get rid of the hoarseness "But I can't really get myself too believe it, you know" If he was having this conversation with anyone other than Bruce he'd be tempted to tear his tongue out at the sentimentality of it all, but it was just Bruce so... "Wait, what do you mean she scared you?" Tony cracked a grin at the sheer absurdity of it. "The big green rage monster is scared of the fiery little red head in stilettos?"

With every labored breath, he relaxed into his friends embrace and shut his eyes. Bruce didn't know what it was about Tony, normally he didn't like being touched but the playboy did it so gentle and with such care that he often found himself craving every touch. There weren't many chances for them to be alone, someone always interfered. Pepper, The rest of the team, or Cap, who wasn't afraid to voice his opinion on him rather loudly, always found some sort of issue they needed taken care of.

They were only inches apart, their foreheads touching, Bruce's hands resting on the curve of Tony's hips, it would only take a little courage to kiss him and move his hands further south-

_Stop! Banner, get a hold of yourself!_

When Tony pulled himself away from him, Bruce blushed furiously as the screen play in his head caught up to his subconscious. He needed to stop this, it was getting out of hand, his desire for Tony, it had been part of his reasoning for leaving. He needed to clear his head and get back on track with their relationship-whatever it was. "I get it. "He muttered a reply, tearing his eyes away from him with a scowl. " Anyone with a brain should be scared of her, the stilettos are like a warning that she's coming, it's almost worse than having a silent Hulk wandering around. "

"The stilettos won't be a problem anymore. Promise" Tony's eyes glazed over and his hand reflexively clenched over thin air, imagining a glass that wasn't there. Bruce tried to take a step forward, but they were already as close as they could possibly be without bumping into each other, so they ended up bumping into each other.

Tony loved Pepper, he really did. But that was in past tense, and it had been past tense for a while now. They had broken up in all but words for months, and when the words finally came, it came as a relief. He could at least fantasize about kissing Bruce's freckles and combing his hand through Bruce's brown-grey hair without feeling too guilty now. But Tony Stark was nothing if not realistic, and he knew that his fantasies were all he could get.

"Hm. As long you don't feel the urge to cross dress. " Bruce licked his lips thoughtfully and offered a small grin. The image of Tony dressing up as a woman was a little disturbing if not strange. He looked good in his expensive suits and polished shoes.

A few months ago, Bruce would have blushed and shied away from the close contact with his friend but right now all he wanted to do was be close to him. He hook his fingers through Tony's hair and titled his head, his eyes curious. It was a lot softer than he had thought it would have been. A thoughtful chuckle escaped his lips as he trailed his hands down the back of his head towards his neck.

Bruce had only ever been with Betty and didn't have much to compare with but Tony was exhilarating- and as if working on nothing but courage he pressed his lips to the others and closed his eyes. He didn't care if Tony hated him, well he did a little if he was being honest, but he wanted to at least try it once without having to worry about the consequences.

At first Tony didn't even register what was happening, just that it was warm and safe and he wouldn't mind doing this for a while longer, maybe forever. Yes, forever was a reasonable choice. Bruce's fingers played with the ends of his hair, unbearably slowly, like they had all the time in the world. But Tony knew they'll have to break apart eventually. The thought of that made him clutch Bruce harder and push him back against the counter, their bodies flush against each other.

He was afraid if he let go, even for a second, he'd lose Bruce. He was afraid this will stop being real if he let go, like waking up from a good dream, the best dream ever.


	5. Part Two

A/N: Blame Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D for this. I love the show and the moment I saw Ward an image for a story formed in my head and this was how this was born.

This chapter is just a fluff and a little bit of science boyfriends. This was actually a roleplay I did with a friend but I haven't heard from her in a while and I miss her. So I thought what the hell and just edited our roleplay into a chapter.

This chapter is for Novusula, if you haven't read her stories you totally should.

I own nothing.

Here's part two! Sorry for the wait, I hope you enjoy.

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** [The Curious Case of The Travel Bag and The Vodka Glass; Part 2]**

Bruce groaned quietly against Tony's lips in surprise, his fingers falling down to the buttoned up shirt clinging to his friend's chest. He worked quickly to remove the first few, a blush making it's way up the back of his neck. It had been so long since he felt this connection with someone and he didn't want to wait but pushing Tony over his limits wouldn't benefit either of them.

Bruce pulled back a little, trying to catch his breath and calm down his alter ego, and he glanced up at Tony, a small smirk resting on his lips. "Well.. I guess it's safe to say Pepper wont have to worry about another woman making a move on you. " he mumbled, licking his lips.

Tony's lips followed Bruce's as he pulled back. He didn't want to stop. His heart was racing and he would be worried about his arc reactor if he wasn't feeling very light headed at the moment.

At Bruce's words, he started to laugh almost hysterically, burying his face in Bruce shoulder, shuddering in his mirth. He leaned back eventually and smiled hesitantly.

"Something tells me she won't worry for a long time" He cupped Bruce face between his palms "A very, very long time"

Bruce pressed his hand to Tony's chest with a small smile. He still remembered the first time he had seen the arc reactor up close-it was a beautiful and complicated piece of technology that was keeping his friend alive and as badly as he wanted to study it, only to help Tony of course, he couldn't push him.

"Tony.." He mumbled. He wanted to stay like this, never having to leave Tony's arms seemed like a good plan for the rest of his life but he knew the likelyhood of that was slim. He wasn't good company, something always happened when he got close to the people in his life. He was a like a virus that only got worse as it was left untreated. He didn't deserve Tony-as a friend or anything otherwise.

His cheeks flushed brightly as he continued to run his fingers through Tony's hair, "Don't say it like that.." He muttered, looking away quickly. "Don't say it like were going to get into something... " That suffocating feeling started to consume him again, his hands beginning to tremble.

"Hey, hey, hey" Tony soothed "Easy, big guy, easy" He slid his hands from Bruce's face to his neck and leaned back slightly, enough to let him catch his breath. "I know a panic attack when I see one. And I don't want you to ever go through that...least of all because of me"

Tony's lips still tingled from the kiss and he licked them involuntarily. The stubble stung where it had scratched against his skin and he wondered if Bruce felt the same exhilaration, the same adrenalin rush that he did.

"Bruce..." He started but stopped when he realized his friend was shaking in his arms.

Bruce suddenly knew what Bilbo felt when the dwarfs had bombarded him in Bag End before their quest. His chest and rose quickly as panic engulfed him. "I'll be fine in a moment. " he muttered, his tense form relaxing slightly at Tony's touch. "It's just-" He fell down onto the kitchen floor, his knees drawn to his chest.

He took in a few breathes, closing his eyes as memories flooded back to him. Bruce could still feel Tony's lips tingling against his own but he couldn't get past the concern he felt. He almost flinched back as Tony crouched down in front of him, "It's not you, Tony. " he shook his head, frowning a little. "It's me.. it's always been me and it always will be.."

"There's nothing wrong with you!" Tony bit out fiercely loyal, angry that Bruce would even think that he was the problem here.

Bruce stared at him long and hard, clearly questioning his sanity, so Tony backtracked.

"Apart from the big green elephant in the room, that is" He gently grasped Bruce's shoulders "And even he is not wrong, not to me, because he is a part of you and I repeat, there's nothing wrong with you." Tony grabbed Bruce's hand and held it over the cold metal of his arc reactor in a single desperate movement "Like this is a part of me, it's made out of metal but it doesn't make me a robot. If there's something wrong with you, then there's something wrong with me too"

Bruce's hand froze on Tony's chest, a small frown tracing his cracked lips. "That's different, Tony. You need the arc reactor to live, without it you probably would have died in Afghanistan." Even the thought of not having Tony in his life brought a dull ache to his chest. "I don't need the Other Guy to live, I'd probably live a lot longer if he wasn't around. "

He pushed himself forward and fell into Tony's arms, winding his own around his waist. He pressed his forehead above Tony's arc reactor and let out a shaky breath. "I wish you'd get some sense. "He mumbled, "More importantly I wish I was able to leave without feeling guilty or like my heart was about to explode. " Bruce shut his eyes tightly, pushing his suicidal thoughts away. "I don't think I'm able to leave... not without you anyway. "

Bruce's warmth was like a beacon, grounding him to stability. The arc reactor lowered his blood circulation rate by a percentage point. Nothing big enough to make a drastic difference, but since the thermo-regulation was malfunctioning, he was always cold. But Bruce was so warm, warmer than anyone he'd ever been close to, not that he'd been close to that many. He had the armor for many reasons after all.

Tony wrapped his arms around Bruce in turn and just held on to the unfamiliar but in no way unwelcome warmth.

"He saved my life, remember?" He whispered, tracing patterns on Bruce's back. "Yours too, if you think about it. You couldn't have survived all that gamma radiation without him. And that's the most heroic thing he's ever done, saving your life."

"If were being honest, "Bruce mumbled into the other man's shirt, his eyes shut tightly as memories played in his head. "I should have been dead long before the gamma radiation accident. " He pushed himself closer to Tony, so close he was almost on top of the playboy. "My father did so many things to me growing up, both physically and mentally. It wouldn't surprise me if he missed with my genetic code when I was a baby- that man hated me. "

Opening his eyes, Bruce looked back up towards Tony. "He didn't have to save my life, in fact I'm sure he'd probably enjoy the room, but I'm glad he saved you. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't made it. " He brought his hand up and struck across the back of the head. "What the hell were you thinking by the way? A missile in a black hole? Honestly Tony?" Bruce would have been more angry but he found it nearly impossible to stay mad at his friend.

"Bruce" Tony sighed as he tightened his hold on Bruce. He wished he could take away his friend's pain, but all he could do now was not add to it. "The needs of the many outweighs the needs of the one. It was me or the world, who wouldn't pick the world over me?"

Bruce shook his head slowly, taking his friends hands between his own. " I'd rather have you. The world has done nothing good for me. " he mumbled.

"You'll always have me" Seeing Bruce's look Tony quickly amended "As long as you'll have me"

Before Bruce could make up any more protests to why he wasn't worth it, Tony leaned forward, feeling Bruce's breath on his face and his hands shaking in Tony's. He moistened his lips, a nervous gesture that one would not expect to see in the notorious playboy Tony Stark. But this was Bruce, Bruce wasn't another toy to him. Bruce was his everything. Taking a deep breath like he would before diving, he covered Bruce's mouth with his own. But it didn't feel like he was drowning, it was like he was flying, and that, to Tony, was the best feeling in the world.

It was strange for him, to be apart of something greater than himself. With Tony he felt special and wanted - a just emotional tone he hasn't felt in years. "I always want you. "He meant to whisper but the words slipped off his lips as he kisses back.

For the first time in his life, Bruce felt safe and secure.


End file.
